For starters, I don’t believe that panicking and crawling into a hole is a reasonable option. We’re applying some concrete steps, such as these:

We know that donations don’t just materialise. They have to be earned. And there’s nothing better than a recession to drive this point home. Our fundraisers have doubled the number of meetings with current donors this year, focused on providing impact reports where appropriate for our donors and focused on the development of our new CRM system that will help to make us more effective.

Our proposal developers have taken the opportunity to re-examine our case for giving. We need to be certain that you, as donors, understand both the more urgent need for your generosity towards our students - undergrad and postgrad - during these tough times and the many concrete steps we’re taking to ensure their success.

Our business goes on, whatever the economic conditions. We can’t not raise funds. The only defensible, businesslike way to respond to an economic crisis is to recognise that fundraising requires both continuing investment and ongoing care. We’ve been careful in the advice we have given on share and asset donation, tax constraints and benefits, bequest parameters, sponsorship benefits, and the like. And will continue to provide such support in the years ahead.

We’ve stepped up our efforts online recently with peer to peer initiatives, utilising GivenGain in our recent #Move4Food and other campaigns, driving messaging through social media, and building an online giving platform on the University’s website to make donating easier.

We know that billions have been raised online around the world. But the lion’s share of that money has gone into the coffers of humanitarian relief organisations such as the Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and UNICEF; to the high-profile United States presidential campaigns, most notably Barack Obama’s; and, to a lesser extent, the leading advocacy organisations, such as Amnesty International and Greenpeace. And all those billions, despite how large the numbers might seem, represent a tiny fraction of our general philanthropic revenue - around 1 percent in our case.

Online fundraising for its own sake does not represent the fundraising salvation in a difficult economy. But, the online channel does have multiple benefits for non-profit fundraisers, most of them having nothing to do directly with money: attracting younger supporters, providing our stakeholders with opportunities to participate in our work, and reinforcing appeals that are sent through other channels, to name just three. So we’re investing in online communications, believing that this will ultimately pay many dividends, reinforce near-term fundraising efforts and lay the foundation for a more prosperous future.

Here’s how fundraising typically goes at most universities: The communications department sends an alumna an online magazine, talking about the University’s successes for the quarter or year; often indicating the institutional dreams, if only there were funding. The arts faculty then sends her its newsletter and appeals a couple of times a year. The university annual fund - being student driven - enlists students to call her. The history department (her major) is turning 65 and suggests that a gift would be appropriate, too. So does the graduate school of social science (where she received her PhD). And, I could go on. Is it any wonder so many universities cry about the low rate of annual fund “participation” by their alumni? I’m more than a little alarmed about ours, I can share with you.

This reality, which also applies to some degree at thousands of non-profits and institutions, cries out for a referee to minimise the mid-air collisions of all those messages. This is something that we’re working on, putting in place a minimal degree of centralised scheduling among all these competing offices to avoid and reduce donor irritation. Our focus on developing a truly integrated programme of fundraising, friendraising, and communications is essential if we are to boost donations and alumni participation, especially under the current external conditions.

And finally, economic troubles do create multiple opportunities for venturesome fundraisers, who with some creativity and good relations with our colleagues in various departments, can demonstrate where tangible social change, innovation and/or entrepreneurship can happen, with just a little more support.

A recent research showcase with international partners and intellectual “rockstars” in an area of national importance presented an opportunity to engage with some new donors, local and international in a number of smallish grants from R60 000 - R500 000. The occasion provides an opportunity for those interested in the University to see the amazing work that we do through this kind of lens. We hope that, given the success of the media coverage, the national kudos and impact of the research showcase, which has hundreds of international guests and many donors coming into town, this kind of intervention will bear even more fruit.

And speaking of fruit, may you have a warm and wonderful festive season - whether with watermelon or walnuts, figgy pudding or cinnamon and apple cake at Chanukah.

So here’s to the next 100 years of the University. And many, many more years in partnership with you. You know that we could not do it without you. Any of it. Nor would we want to.

Karen Bruns

Senior Director: Development & Alumni Relations

kbruns@sun.ac.za

021 808 4895